PRESS RELEASES

TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) announced today it will hold its 7th annual Celebrating Women in Business event on Friday, March 30. The event, DBPR’s way of highlighting Women’s History Month, will include networking opportunities and a panel discussion featuring several of North Florida’s top women business leaders.

DBPR Secretary Jonathan Zachem said: “I’m excited to host some of the area’s leading women professionals and those venturing into the world of business. This event will offer valuable entrepreneurial advice and will be an excellent venue for networking and mentorship.”

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget recommends $154 million to support the continued commitment of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to make Florida the best place for businesses and job creators. Gov. Scott’s budget also supports DBPR’s overall mission to license efficiently and regulate fairly, allowing Florida businesses and professionals to succeed and create jobs for future generations of Floridians.

Gov. Scott said, “Over the past seven years we have fought to make Florida more business-friendly and worked to cut more than 5,000 burdensome regulations. This has helped Florida businesses create more than 1.3 million new jobs across the state and we will not slow down our efforts to make Florida the best place for job creators and families to succeed. I am proud to announce these investments today, which will help make sure the state can continue to efficiently welcome new businesses and opportunities to Florida.”

Jonathan Zachem, DBPR Secretary, said, “Under Governor Scott’s guidance, we’ve worked hard to improve efficiency and reduce burdensome regulations for the more than one million businesses and professionals licensed by DBPR. One of our proudest achievements this year was the launch of the Business Information Portal at www.OpenMyFloridaBusiness.gov. The new site takes prospective business owners step-by-step through starting a new business in Florida.”

Gov. Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget includes:

Unlicensed Activity Awareness:The budget proposes continuing $2.2 million to combat unlicensed activity. DBPR will continue to proactively seek out unlicensed activity while educating the public about the need to only hire licensed professionals. In Fiscal Year 2016-2017, the Division of Regulation performed 726 sweeps, 41 undercover enforcement operations and 797 outreach events to educate Floridians about the importance of hiring licensed professionals and the dangers unlicensed individuals pose.

License application processing: In 2016, DBPR processed 365,854 applications – 74,571 more than when Gov. Scott took office in 2011 – without any additional staffing. The budget proposes continuing $8.2 million for the Central Intake Unit, which processes an average of 7,000 applications each week. Additionally, over 99.5% of license-renewal applications were completed online. This allows department licensees to renew in real time and get to work more quickly.

Food safety: DBPR’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants’ inspection practices enable the division to communicate more effectively to licensees in a pro-business manner. The Division works to be transparent with the public on the results of an inspection, which are published in real time on the DBPR website and DBPR Mobile App. The budget proposes continuing $21.7 million to allow the division to continue to protect the health and safety of Floridians and guests to the state while implementing regulations that make good business sense for Florida’s 96,847 food service and lodging establishments.

Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, said, “We appreciate Gov. Scott’s continued investment in the health and safety of Florida’s consumers and visitors. Tourism is essential to Florida’s economy and, thanks to DBPR’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants, Florida continues to lead in food safety and innovation.“

Scott Shalley, President and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said, “Floridians are feeling more optimistic and confident in our improving economy. We applaud Gov. Scott and DBPR for continually identifying ways of helping Florida’s retailers and businesses grow and succeed.”

Bill Martin, CEO of the Florida Realtors, said, “Gov. Scott has always focused on job growth for Florida’s real estate professionals and businesses. I applaud the governor and DBPR for their efforts to ensure Floridians can get to work more quickly.”

The Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes oversees Florida residential communities regulated by DBPR through education; mediation and arbitration; complaint resolution; and developer disclosure. Miami-Dade condominium owners can seek guidance at the new office for questions or issues regarding their condominiums. Walk-ins are welcome and DBPR team members are on standby, ready to assist.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced today that it has awarded theClay Ford Minority Scholarship to 40 fifth-year minority accounting students from 14 different universities across Florida.

Award recipients will receive $3,000 to $6,000 per semester for a maximum of two semesters.

“DBPR is thrilled to assist these deserving students with jump-starting their careers in the CPA profession,” said DBPR Secretary Jonathan Zachem.

Applications are accepted each year on a rolling basis and will be applied to the appropriate school year. The deadline for applications for the 2018 – 2019 school year is June 1, 2018.

With people across Volusia County still recovering and seeking repairs to properties damaged by Hurricane Irma, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office launched its second recent sting operation targeting unlicensed contractors looking to cash in on the work.

Volusia County sheriff’s detectives in cooperation with the State Attorney’s Office, Daytona Beach Police Department, and state insurance and fraud regulators, conducted a two-day undercover operation, which culminated today (Friday), zeroing in on unlicensed contractors in Deltona and Daytona Beach. The sting, dubbed “Operation Hurri-Con,” was designed to catch those who prey on victims of hurricane damage by advertising or offering services such as A/C, electrical or roofing jobs – all work that requires licensed contractors.

Investigators developed a list of unlicensed contractors on both sides of Volusia County, and set up meeting places in Daytona Beach (Thursday) and Deltona (Friday). In several cases, the contractors had advertised on Craigslist. Earlier this week, detectives called the suspect contractors at their business and requested an appointment for the contractor to visit an address to provide an estimate for roof repair. In each case, representations from the state Department of Business Professional Regulation (DBPR) confirmed that the contractor was unlicensed.

Once the unlicensed contractor provided an estimate for the job and left the business, deputies made traffic stops and arrested the contractor, transporting them to the Volusia County Branch Jail. Each was charged with engaging in contracting business without certification (Florida Statute 489.127) , and failure to secure workers’ compensation insurance coverage (F.S. 440.105 (4)(A)3).

The crimes were committed during the state of emergency declared by Gov. Rick Scott, making the charge of operating without a license a felony, deputies say. Detectives determined that each suspect “knowingly and unlawfully engaged in the business or acted in the capacity of a contractor . . . without being duly registered or certified,” the affidavits state.

“We want the message to be clear: If you’re in this business to help people, great. If you’re here because of greed, be assured, we will do this again and you will be found,” said Lt. Brian Henderson of the VCSO’s Major Crimes Unit. “With some people, it’s very evident they are trying to capitalize on (damage from) the hurricane.”

Added Sheriff Mike Chitwood: “We’ve run this operation before, and we’ll do it again – the point is, if you want to do the kind of work that requires a permit, go through the process and do it legitimately. We’re not going to sit here and leave our residents vulnerable to scam artists and thieves out there looking to make an easy profit.”

Henderson advised homeowners seeking reputable, licensed contractors to go to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s website: www.myfloridalicense.com. In addition, anyone who hires an unlicensed contractor is civilly liable if that contractor gets injured while working on your home, Henderson said.

“Volusia was one of the many counties directly affected by Hurricane Irma. The results of this sting are proof that unlicensed contractors are in the area attempting to do work that they are unlicensed and unqualified to do,” said DBPR Secretary Jonathan Zachem. “It’s imperative that property owners always verify a contractor’s license before signing a contract. If you suspect unlicensed activity is taking place in your area, please report it directly to DBPR by calling the Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 1.866.532.1440 or by emailing ULA@myfloridalicense.com.”